Loading-spout



E. M. HULL.

LOADING SPOUT. 7 APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1917.

1,358,446,- Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. M. HULL.

LOADING SPOUT.

APPLICATION mm ocr. s, 1917.

1 58,446. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND IVI. HULL, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LOADING-SPOUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed October 5, 1917. Serial No. 194,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND M. HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo in the county of Erie and State of New Ybrk, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loading-spouts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to loading spouts or horns of the sort which are used at grain elevators for chuting the grain from the elevator into grain cars for loading the latter. Such spouts or fhorns are attached to the lower end of the grain chute or leg descending from the elevator, and have branches which are curved so as to project into the car through the door opening in the side thereof and also curve or diverge away from each other sot'hat the grain discharging therefrom is directed toward the opposite ends of the car. With the spouts or horns as heretofore constructed, it has been impossible to completely fill the cars to the ends and up to the roof thereof without shoveling or otherwise moving the grain in the cars. The spouts have been of such form that the momentum of the discharging grain is materially decreased and is not suflicient when leaving the ends of the spouts to throw the grain to the ends of the car after the same has been partly filled, especially in the case of the long cars which are now in common use for carrying grain.

The object of this invention is to provide a spout of this nature which is of a novel form, such that it is adapted to deliver the grain from the point midway between the ends of the car where the spout is located to the ends of the car, and to completely fill the car up to its roof without necessitating any shoveling or moving of the grain subsequent to its delivery into the car by the spout. j 1

In the accompanyingdrawlngsz Figure 1 is a front elevation of aloading spout embodying the invent on, showing in section thebody of a car being loaded.

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sections thereof on lines 22 and 33, respectively, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof, showing by broken lines the car bodyand support for the spout.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the spout.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation thereof, showing by full and'broken lines, different positions of the deflector.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation thereof on line 7-7 Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section of one branch of the spout on line 8-8, Fig. 4.

A represents the lower portion of the discharge chute or leg of a grain elevator. The spout forming the subject matter of this invention is attached to the lower end of this chute or leg A.

The spout preferably comprises an upper section B which is telescopically connected withthe lower end of the chute A to enable the spout to be raised or lowered as may be necessary to locate it at the required elevation, and a branched section C which is hinged to the lower end of the telescopic section B and is formed with opposite branches 0 c which curve forwardly and downwardly from the telescopic'section so as to project into a car through the side door opening thereof, and also curve or diverge away from each other toward the ends of the car. The section B may be telescopically connected to the chute or leg A in any suitable manner. As shown, the telescopic section surrounds the lower end of theleg or chute and is connected thereto by a chain or rope 10 passing around pulleys 11 and 12 attached respectively to the fined and telescopic sections so that the latter section can be raised or lowered and secured at the desired elevation by means of the rope or chain in a well known manner. 14 indicates guide bars for the telescopic section fixed at their upper ends to the opposite sides of the lower end of the chute A and extending through guide openings 15 in straps 16 passing around and fixed on the telescopic section. 4

The n per end of the branched or lower section of the spout, like the telescopic section B, is of rectangular shape in crosssection and fits over the lower end of the telescopic section, and each of the curved branches or horns 0 0 of this lower section is also of rectangular shape in cross-section, the

two branches diverging from their juncture with the single rectangular-upper end of the lower section C The lower section C is preferably hinged at its back or rear side by a hinge 17 of any suitable. sort to the lower end of the telescopic section B, so that the section C can be swung forwardly or rearwardly to the position necessary to 10- cats the branches properly in the upper portion of the car. The spout can be supported the branched section of the spout and to rest at its lower end on a platform 20 or other suitable support. The branches 0 c of the spout in addition to curving forwardly and diverging or curving laterally away from. each other, are also twisted so that the wall or side 21 of each branch, which is the back. or rear side thereof at the upper end of the branch, becomes the inner side or wall of the branch at the discharge end thereof; These sides or walls 21 at the discharge ends of the branches occupy a nearly upright position. "The grain in flowing down through the chute and spout slides in a comparatively shallow stream or layer on the inclined back or rear wall of the chute and the corresponding walls 21 of the spout, and, owing to the twist of the branches of the spout, the stream of grain continues to slide on these same walls 21 of the branchesof. the spent and passes through the; discharge end of each spout against'the inner side thereof, as indicated in Fig. 8. Thus the descending stream of grain, although its direction is changed twice, first outwardly and then laterally, nevertheless slides in contact with thesame unbroken surface or wall of the spout. its direction is thus changed gradually and without breaking the continuity of its flow or impeding its momentum, and the grain is discharged from the branches of the spout under a momentum sufficient to throw it to the extreme ends of even the longest cars now in use. The

grain strikes the end walls of the car and c the top of the rising mass of grain in the car Wlth suflicient force to pile the grain upinto the car to the roof thereof evenbetween the transverse rafters ofthe root so that the car is completely'iilled to its roof and to the extreme ends of the car. In a spout which is not twisted, as explained, the grain is thrown from one wall of. the spout to another, and thisso check the momentum of the grainthat its discharge velocity is not sufficient to carry it to the ends of the car or tocause the grain to pile up to the car roof. I Spouts of this kind are usuallyprovided with a deflector. or dividing device which is adjustable to control the discharge of the grainthrough the branches of the spout in such manner as may be necessaryto equalize or controlthe loading of opposite ends of the car, or to permit one-half only of the car to be loaded, or one-half to be loaded with one grain and the other half with another grain. In the means shown in the drawings for this purpose, 22 indicates a stream deflecting or dividing device which is pivoted in the spout above the point where the two branches c 0 of the spout join and is adapted to be placed upright to direct the descending stream of grain equally into both branches of the spout, or to be set in a more or less inclined position for partially or wholly shutting off one branch of the spout, and thereby causing a greater proportion or all of the grain to discharge through the other branch. This deflector or divider preferably consists-of a plate bent into inverted ii-form, or two plates orsides 23 secured together at an angle and arranged with the lower ends of the plates or sides straddling a cross rod 2 extending through the telescopic section B of the spout above the juncture of theinner walls of the spout branches 0 0.. The lower ends of the-sides 23 are connected by a strip 25' by which the deflector rests on and is adapted to swing on thecross-rod 2-1. As the sides 23 of the deflector form. a sharp angle at then-upper ends and straddle the cross rod and upper ends of the inner walls of the spout branches, the deflector does not oiifer an objectionable obstruction to the flow of the grain. A rod 28 secured tothe deflector between its two plates or sides 23 extends out through an arc-shaped slot 27 in the front wall of.

the spout section B andpasses througha slot 28 in anoperating lever 29 which is suitably pivoted at 30 to the section B or the spout. The deflector can be swung to any desired position by means of this lever and retainec in such position by fastening the lever, as, to; instance by tightening, a nut: 31 screwed on the outer end of the rod 26 thereby clamping the lever between the-nut and; a

sleeve 32 on the rod 26 between the lever spout having a single discharge end! constructed as described couldbe used advantageously and comes-within thespirit: ofthis invention.

The spout ,con'structedas described is easy to place in and adjust to the requiredposition in a. car, and it can be positionedrjust insideof the door opening. near the side of the car or so as to projectaconsiderable distance into the car, say, approximately two feet, without changing; the positionofthe ends of the horn relativetotheendsiofthe car. The ends of the horn discharge always directly toward theends of the car-instead of at an angle across the can.

{and

The wear on the walls of the spout, or the liners, which are ordinarily used in the spouts, and the pressure on the prop or sup port 18 are much less than in former constructions, owing to the free, unimpeded delivery of the grain from the spout. Since the branched lower section of the spout is unbroken, or in one piece from end to end, instead of being composed of two or more separate sections as heretofore, and the grain moves freely out of the spout without inter ruption or Checking, the spout produces much less dust in operation than others, and is therefore not so bothersome to the man who is required to stand on the platform to adjust or manipulate the spout when loading a car.

I claim as my invention:

1. A loading spout of the character described having a discharge portion which has bottom and side walls disposed at'an angle to each other andcurves downwardly, forwardly and laterally and is also twisted lengthwise so that the wall forming the bottom of said discharge portion at the upper end thereof becomes the outer side wall at the discharge end thereof.

2. A loading spout of the character described having a discharge portion of substantially rectangular cross-section which curves forwardly and laterally and is also twisted so that opposite ends of the same wall thereof are disposed respectively in substantially horizontal and vertical planes.

3. A loading spout of the character described comprising an upper section which inclines downwardly and forwardly so that the material descends in contact with the rear wall thereof, and a lower section which is angularly adjustable relatively to said upper section and has a discharge portion which has bottom and side walls disposed at an angle to each other and curves downwardly, forwardly and laterally and is also twisted lengthwise so that the wall forming the bottom of said discharge portion at the upper end thereof becomes the outer side wall at the discharge end thereof.

4-. In a loading spout of the character described, the combination of an upper section having a downwardly and forwardly slop ing rear wall, and a lower section having a downwardly, forwardly and laterally sloping wall constituting a continuation of said rear wall, said lower section being so twisted lengthwise that the opposite ends of its said wall are disposed in planes at an angle to each other with the lower end thereof occupying a substantially upright plane,

and said rear wall and said continuation thereof together forming a continuous surface in contact with which the material slides through the spout.

5. A loading spout of the character described having a portion of polygonal crosssectional shape which curves downwardly and also laterally and is twisted so that the bottom of said downwardly curved portion and the outer side of the laterally curved portion constitute successive portions of the same wall, whereby the material passing through the spout is caused by gravity and centrifugal force to slide on the same unbroken surface in turning said diflerent curves and leaves the spout in contact with said outer side wall thereof.

lVitness my hand, this 29th day of September, 1917.

EDMUND M. HULL.

WVitnesses HENRY KooN, 5 Roy ZIMMERMAN. 

